Dreams Come Alive
by Purplity Purple
Summary: Erin Stewart was just another otaku. When she and her friends got sucked into the Prince of Tennis universe due to an unknowingly fulfilled wish, how will they cope? Rated T for the occasional curse.
1. Be careful what you wish for

**Hey there. Purple here. Nothing much to say, really. I hope you enjoy the first chapter, and review. I would really appreciate reviews. If you find a typo or something I can improve on, drop a line or two. It would mean a lot to me.**

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**Chapter 1**

"When they rounded the corner, they saw him standing there. And then Christian said…" Adrian said, trying very hard not to laugh.

The school was nearly empty. They were some of the stragglers who stayed behind just for the heck of it. The sun was about to set on that late summer afternoon. The four of them were walking home together – Michael, Adrian, Alice, and her.

Michael, Alice, and Adrian. She knew Michael and Alice since kindergarten. Adrian moved to the same street as them in second grade. They were their own little band of misfits. Neighbors who stuck together through elementary and junior high. They had their own rough patches which led them to learn the basics of self-defense in junior high, but here they were: high school sophomores. They won their battles, learned from their mistakes, got up when life decided it was fun to trip them. They got through it together.

Michael Gray. He's the smart one. The model student, top of the class, and all that jazz. Gifted in academics and chess, he tutored the others on several occasions. And with his windswept brown hair and blue eyes, he was not without admirers. Smart though he may be, he actually has a mischievous streak. But if you need him, you can always count on him.

Alice Gomez. The artist of our group. Small, shy and short-tempered. She rocks at drawing and painting – be it nature, make-believe or people. You name it, she can draw it. (Or her version of it.) She has tan skin, black hair and blue eyes. Alice is Hispanic, and she has this natural troublemaker look on her. She also has a tendency to speak in rapid Spanish when frustrated. She's really timid around others, but once she lets people in, you'll get shocked at her chatterbox tendencies. And never, ever mention her height if you want all of your body parts intact. She's the one who dug deeper in martial arts than all of them, saying something about teaching those bastards to never underestimate short girls.

Adrian Sanders. The sporty one. They didn't see each other much when he first moved in. Once, Adrian, Michael, and Alice went with him to school. One thing led to another, and he became a part of their dysfunctional group. He's the one with the laidback attitude. He had his fingers dipped in several sport pies. Part of the basketball team, therefore part of the crowd. He's not bad-looking either with his black hair and green eyes. He's also part of the photography club. They became wary of Adrian's camera after they saw his collection. (And they still dread the day Adrian will use it against them.)

And then there's Erin Stewart. She's the musical one, or so they say. She plays several instruments, some better than others like guitar, piano and flute. But that's just because they are almost similar. She had average looks. Dark brown hair and green eyes. She's taller than Alice, but shorter than the boys. Erin's sharp tongue both doomed and saved them on several occasions. She has made her friends sigh exasperatedly more than anyone could count because of her rants about her current obsession: Prince of Tennis. Or anime and manga, in general, really. You have to gag her to make her stop talking about RIkkai this or Marui that. She even forced her friends watch it because she got fed up with their blank stares.

All was well. The sky was blue, the grass was green; you know, normal shizz. Adrian was telling them a funny anecdote, and they laughed appreciatively. They arrived at the bus stop, talking about random things: school, homework, Erin's obsession (To which they all groaned, thinking, "How can she change the topic from Math to Prince of Tennis?"), unicorns (Alice's attempt at steering away from the rant-prone topic), club activity and Adrian's weird eating habits.

Some pinstriped-wearing, busy-looking people in their mid-thirties glared at the four teenagers, muttering under their breaths. (Not nice things, undoubtedly.) The aforementioned teens either didn't hear it or chose to ignore it. (Those or they were used to it.)

Just another day, really. Not. Adrian, Michael and Alice noticed that Erin was being a little quiet, Sure, she laughed and chattered with them, but she appeared quite sad whenever she thought the others weren't looking. Erin also missed the looks the three were exchanging.

When they were walking down the street where they all lived, Erin noticed Alice, whose house is the first they passed, didn't say, 'Cheesecream' as their way of saying, 'See you later.'

She turned to look at Alice. "Uh, we just passed your house," she said, pointing over her shoulder.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. I lost my Science book. I'll borrow yours for the homework," Alice said sheepishly.

Behind Erin's back, Michael raised an eyebrow at Alice as if saying, "We don't have homework in Science."

Alice just shrugged her shoulders minutely, so that Erin didn't notice.

"Thanks for asking me first," she grumbled jokingly.

"Aw, you know you love us," Adrian grinned and put his arm around her playfully.

"Get off me," she sighed exasperatedly, "and cheesecream, you two."

"We're tagging along, muffincake** (1)**," Michael smirked, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Erin sighed again. Even though inviting themselves over was normal (And it's not like she's one to talk.), she just wanted some time alone. Preferably on the roof, wondering why the three forgot her birthday.

With the three behind her, she entered her house.

"Mom! I'm home! And the three are home, too!" She crouched down to remove her shoes. When she straightened up, she saw some of her other friends, her cousins, parents, grandparents, and a cake with candles on top of it. (Sixteen, she counted.)

"Happy birthday, Erin!" they all shouted. Adrian, Alice and Michael yelled next to her ear, making her jump a little. She turned around to their grins and smirks, a look of surprise and shock on her face.

Her friends laughed heartily at her expression. All the people in the room started singing, 'Happy birthday,' and she turned to her friends who were smirking at her fidgeting. Feeling a little awkward at not knowing what to do while they were singing, she turned her eyes on the people in front of her.

Her parents beckoned her closer while they approached with the cake. "Make a wish, kiddo," her father smiled fondly at her.

She returned his smile and closed her eyes. What do I want? I have a loving family and friends. We're not poor. Hmm. She settled on, 'I wish all my dreams would come true.' Cheesy and vague, she knows, but she can't think of anything else.

They all clapped, and the small party started. A few dozen 'happy birthday's, several 'who are you dating?', and the occasional 'my son is about your age', and two hours later, most of the guests went home. Some adults lagged behind to catch up with her parents over a cup of coffee, while Alice, Adrian, and Michael waited till the party ended to give their gifts.

The four were in Erin's room. It was painted a light blue which is eclipsed by all the posters – all from the same anime. (Three guesses what.) It also had a bed made of white wood covered with blue and white sheets, a dark wooden dresser, a chest, a dark blue sofa bed, four bean bags, a desk and a computer. You know, the works. Except, maybe, the chest, and the figurines prominently displayed beside her dresser.

"You _still _haven't gotten over your Prince of Tennis phase?" Alice mock-lectured, her lips turned into a frown, and her arms akimbo.

Across her, Erin gasped dramatically. "Me? Get over Prince of Tennis? Blasphemy!"

They were currently sitting on the center of the room, each claiming a bean bag as if it has their name written on it.

"Well, it makes things easier for us," Michael dug through his bag, retrieving a rectangular box covered with green wrapping paper with a white bow.

Unwrapping it carefully, she saw the missing volume to complete her manga collection. "Volume fifteen! Yes! I love you, Michael!" Erin said, engulfing him in a bear hug.

"Aw, what about us?" Adrian pouted.

"Yeah, share the love," Alice joined Adrian in pouting at Erin. Adrian held out a square box, while Alice presented (rather dramatically, in Erin's opinion) a thin, flat, rectangular box. Both were covered with wrapping papers and bows. Erin unwrapped Adrian's first, since it's smaller. Inside was a tennis ball. She was about to ask what was so special about it, when Adrian motioned to turn it around. She gasped. There was a familiar face of a cap-wearing boy scribbled on it. Alice pestered her to, "open mine next! Open mine next!" Inside the box was a canvas. Painted on it was an anime-version of them four together with the Rikkai regulars. She laughed at their poses. Sanada and Jackal were stoic as ever; Niou had his arm around Yagyuu, grinning at her; Yukimura and Kirihara were flashing the V sign with the latter smiling goofily; Marui was… Marui had his arm around anime!Erin, grinning (adorably, in Erin's opinion). Beside her were Adrian, Michael and Alice in ridiculous poses.

"Alice! You're not that tall! And why'd you put Marui like that?" Erin demanded, willing silently for her blush to go away. It's no secret that Marui Bunta was Erin's favorite character.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Erin, honey, that's what you call creative license. In other words, I'm the artist. Whatever I say, goes. Besides, it's just us here. You don't have to pretend you don't like it," Alice said, somehow managing to stick her tongue out childishly while smirking triumphantly.

She stared at it, her gaze slowly traveling from each gift. The other three exchanged alarmed looks. A silent message passed between them: Take cover in 3… 2… 1…

They covered their ears with their hands in unison even when they knew that resistance was futile. A shriek only a fangirl can emit was heard throughout the house. Erin tackled Michael, Alice, and Adrian, managing to glomp the three. "You guys are the best! The very… best!"

"We… know, but… we… can't… breathe!" Alice gasped, wincing at Erin's voice, as did the two boys.

"And we're staying the night. We already have pyjamas, uniform, our parent's permission and everything," Michael said, straightening his clothes that was rumpled due to the glomp.

"Not too prepared, are you?" Erin grinned.

"Of course! You think we'd forget your birthday," Adrian gave her an affectionate noogie, while the other two ruffled her hair.

Erin flinched, and immediately tried to comb her hair with her hands. Adrian groaned. "Aw, she did!"

"Well…" they frowned at her thoughtfully. They already knew that she doesn't have the highest self-esteem even though she sometimes acts otherwise.

Michael sighed. "Just for that, we must drill the facts to your thick head today. Alice, Adrian, you may now start."

Alice, Adrian, and Michael turned to look at her with what she can only describe as evil. The three lunged and started tickling her sensitive spots, known through years of experience. Erin kicked and screamed, but her begs for mercy and attempts at blackmail and intimidation fell upon deaf ears. Salvation for Erin came in the form of her parents looking at them sternly from the doorway, telling them to go to sleep already.

They set up the sofa bed with a few more laughs. Alice slumped down next to her ("Budge over, yeh great lump.), while the boys fluffed their pillows on the sofa bed. As Erin slept, one of her most frequent dreams visited her that night: the one where she and her friends lived in the Prince of Tennis universe.

Above the quiet city, a shooting star streaked through the night sky.

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**(1) Cheesecream and muffincake. These are really small things in their conversation that stuck. A twist of the tongue, a mistake. They laughed at it, and liked the word, so they used it. It's like their version of Marco Polo. I meant it as a symbol of their friendship, more than anything.**

**Remember to drop a line or two. ;)**

**Prince of Tennis characters appear in the next chapter. :D**


	2. because you just might get it

**Hiyaa. Sorry for the late update. I was going to post earlier, but my sister accidentally deleted it, so I had to start from scratch. I promise the updates will not be once a month.**

**Thanks to ScarlettMoon (Yep, I remember. ^^ You're welcome and update your own story soon!), anime fan 202101202 (You're right****! That's why I tried to write one. :))**, Bob, and alice106th (Aww, thanks**!)** for the reviews. :)

**Now, without further ado...**

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**Chapter 2 - …because you just might get it/The Morning After**

Sunlight filtered through the glass window, shining directly upon the slumbering girl's face. Her breaths were deep and even, though she felt the warm rays subconsciously. Her face looked peaceful – her dark brown hair fanned across her pillow and her lips were slightly parted. It was a peaceful morning, complete with the chirping birds. Suddenly the silence inside the room was disturbed by shrill ringing noises. The girl stirred, eyelids fluttering. She reached over her nightstand, attempting to press 'Snooze' without opening her eyes. Yawning, she stretched her arms above her and stalled getting up for as long as possible.

She was not the kind of person who's alert from the start of the day. No, far from it. Had she inspected her surroundings, she would've noticed several things. For instance, her friends – where were they? Weren't they sleeping over? And then her posters – her _Prince of Tennis _posters. They were all replaced with American and Japanese bands she liked. Yes, the posters were in her possession (it was in her chest), but she loved anime more. Then her figurines. She prowled through anime stores, bazaars and convention to collect all of them. Instead, in their place was a bookshelf which were stocked with reference books and novels she only owned in eBooks.

But as she was then, sleep-hazed mind and zombie-like, she paid little attention to it. Not after she finished her morning routine, that is. When she finally noticed, she panicked. She treasured those things. Her friends, too. They're the best friends she could ever have, not that she'll ever say it to those three. She'll never hear the end of their teasing. Thankfully, the chest was still there. She checked its contents and confirmed she still had her anime and manga collection. The chest, bed, desk, dresser, and the four bean bags were still there. However, there was no trace of her three friends nor their sleeping bags.

When she looked under the bed, she found a box. She heaved a huge sigh of relief when she opened it. Inside were her posters and her figurines – unbroken and in excellent condition. Why were they under the bed? Who put it there? Her friends? They wouldn't. They knew she'd get pissed.

Speaking of her friends… "Mooom? Where are Adrian, Alice, and Michael? Did they go down without me? And who messed with my room?" Erin yelled as she shouted down the hall.

She heard footsteps – light and unmistakably female. She saw her mother – Huh? What happened to her mother? – carrying a uniform: a white dress shirt, a dark green blazer with yellow buttons, a skirt the same color as the blazer and a blue and white diagonally-striped necktie. There was something different about her mother; she just couldn't put a finger on it. Wait a second, why is her mother holding the Rikkaidai Fuzoku Chuu girls' uniform?

Not understanding her daughter's earlier questions at all, Mrs. Stewart assumed her daughter was still half-asleep. It wasn't uncommon (She fondly reminisced the time when Erin asked her why were there gummy bears walking on her ceiling.), she knew Erin only functions properly after a burst of caffeine. "Wake up, Haruka-chan," she said, shaking Erin by the shoulders. "Who are Adrian, Alice, and Michael? You must still be half-asleep. And no one messed with your room. Shiori-chan, Kenji-kun, and Irei-kun didn't come over yesterday. Oh, and here's your uniform." She handed Erin the clothes.

Erin stared at her blankly for being called another name. "But this is Rikkaidai's uniform."

Her mother sighed. _It's too early for me to deal with this. _"Yes, honey. Hurry up and eat breakfast, Haruka-chan. Or else you won't catch the bus."

Erin's mind was racing with questions. One, what happened to her mom? Two, where did those three go? Three, who were Shiori, Kenji and Irei? And four, why, for heaven's sake, is she carrying the Rikkaidai girls' uniform? Unfortunately, all she can say was, "Huh? Mom?" Quite inarticulately, too.

"Honestly, Haruka, we don't have time for this. Do you really want to be late? The others will leave without you, and breakfast will get cold if you don't come down soon." With that, her mother went downstairs.

As Erin stared at the back of her mom, she noted that her light brown hair was the same – still styled in a bun in the morning – as was her warm blue eyes. But the shape of her eyes were different, and her stature seemed somewhat… changed. That's it! Mrs. Stewart looks… (Erin knows she sounds insane.) anime-like. Wait, if her mom's like that, then…

Erin suddenly ran to the bathroom mirror, staring at her reflection which she didn't take notice of while brushing her teeth earlier. She touched her face, kneaded her cheeks, blinked excessively then scrunched up her nose. Whatever happened to her mother also happened to her. She, too, became anime-like. _Wow, my eyes are big._

_What's happening? Why am I here? What caused my mother and I to look like this? Why am I seriously considering putting on the uniform and going to Rikkaidai? _Erin was frantically pacing her room. A part of her – the fangirling part of her – was asking her why she is even thinking about this.

_Well, I don't have much options, do I? I will not know anything cooped up in my room. Besides, this will be just like cosplaying. Seeing the characters of the anime I'm obsessed with is just an incentive. That, and I'm hungry._

She donned the uniform, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the short skirt. She had a feeling it will lift up at the slightest breeze. She started to hesitate again, but her stomach growled. 'Oh well, I can't investigate on an empty stomach.'

She went downstairs and saw her mother bustling around the house. When she asked for her father, her mother said he already left for work. On the table was a Western-style breakfast. Bacon, eggs, and a tall glass of orange juice: her favorite.

There was a weird feeling at the back of her mind as she glanced on her watch. Instinctively knowing that she can't afford to move sluggishly, she ate breakfast quickly. She put on her outdoor shoes, grabbed her schoolbag and went out of the house, calling back 'I'm leaving!' to her mom.

She noted the name on their gate, 'Yamamoto.' Oh yeah, her mother kept calling her Haruka. Yamamoto Haruka. She's got get used to answering to that name. Haruka noted idly that they have been talking in Japanese. And she understood it perfectly as if there were English subtitles.

She followed the signs to the bus stop. Her surroundings were just like an anime's. The streets, the houses, even the occasional stray animal. As soon as the bus stop came into view, she heard a voice shout:

"Yo, Haruka!"

She saw three people already there. Two boys and a girl. They also wore Rikkaidai's uniform. The one who shouted was one of the boys. He was grinning at her wildly, his brown eyes sparkling. With his windswept hair and loose tie, she can almost see Adrian in him.

"H-Hey!" she returned, smiling a little uncertainly. The other boy was quite tall. He had messy black hair and green eyes framed with rectangular silver glasses. Somehow, she knew it was fake. It was something Michael would do.

"Are you okay, Haruka? Feeling sick?" the girl asked, looking up at her with big blue eyes. Haruka glanced down at he and smiled reassuringly. "Yes, why wouldn't I?"

She felt comfortable in these three's company, especially the short girl's. She reminded her of Alice, she almost thought Alice was transported with her in this world. But if these three were her friends in this world, it would be unfair to them if she always compared them to her other friends. Maybe these people were the ones her mother was talking about.

"Irei-kun? Kenji-kun? Shiori-chan?" she tried hesitantly.

"Yes? Are you sure you're okay, Haruka?" Irei asked, concern clear on his face. He raised his right hand and pressed the back of it to her forehead. Inwardly, Haruka sighed in relief. At least this will spare her the embarrassment of asking for their names. So the other boy was Kenji, and of course the little girl's Shiori.

"I'm fine," she said, pushing Irei's hand away. "Is there a reason I wouldn't be?"

"Well," Kenji piped up, "we dropped honorifics _ages _ago, and you usually call Shiori 'Yori' because according to you, it's a mouthful."

"Ah… that… well…" Can she trust these people? Just because they resemble her three best friends? Oh well, the worst case scenario would be they'll think I'm crazy. Oh well, it's not like it's the first time.

"Uh…" So, how do you say that you're not from this world? That you're basically an alien? How do you say this to people who were basically living in an anime?

Her inner turmoil was interrupted by the bus. She was saved!-

"Don't think you're safe for even a moment, Haruka. We're not done with you." She gulped as she saw the three's ominous smirks. She could have sworn Irei's glasses became opaque just for a moment.

Throughout the trip, they casted furtive glances at Haruka and sometimes they whispered to the other two in an impromptu huddle. A tick formed at her forehead. If these were Adrian, Alice, and Michael, she would've already whacked the back of their heads. She met these people literally minutes ago.

'_Rikkai Dai Fuzoku Chuu! Rikkai Dai Fuzoku Chuu!'_

"Our stop, our stop!" Shiori looped an arm through Haruka's and proceeded to drag the other girl off the bus, closely followed by the boys who were rolling their eyes at Shiori.

Shiori dragged her all the way to their classroom. Haruka caught a glimpse of the sign above the door: 3-B. Her captor only released her when they reached the seat at the back of the room next to the window. Only half of their classmates were there since there was still quite some time before the class starts. Shiori made her sit on the chair which she dubbed 'the hot seat.'

"Okay, girl. Spill," Kenji said as they simultaneously crossed their arms across their chests.

"You wouldn't believe me if I tell you," she challenged.

"Try us," Irei smirked, amused.

"I have amnesia," she declared with a straight face.

"Uh huh, really. Nice try. The truth?" Shiori drawled sarcastically with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm not from here and we're all inside an anime." She watched their reactions slowly.

To her confusion, they seemed to share a meaningful look between them, but it was so fast she wondered if she imagined it.

"Uh huh. Say, we believe you. What anime then?" Irei's smirk toned down a little.

"Uhm… Prince of Tennis. Do you guys know the tennis club at this school? The one that's the National champions for two years running?" They nodded and gestured for her to continue despite their bemused expressions. "Don't you ever wonder why their shots seem to defy the laws of physics and," she quoted Michael's words fondly, "'shake the very foundations of the universe'? It's because it's all in an anime. I can explain every shot of every regular and most regulars from other schools."

She half-expected them to be creeped out at how stalkerish that sounded.

Irei, Kenji, and Shiori exchanged looks again. Shiori mouthed 'Erin?' to the other two which Haruka also understood. Haruka was taken aback. They knew her? The three was reminded forcefully of Erin with Haruka's Prince of Tennis rant. They decided to take a chance.

"Erin?"

Haruka was surprised. "How did you know my name?"

"Cheesecream?" Shiori took a step forward.

"Muffincake," Haruka said without thinking. The next thing she knew, she was being hugged by Shiori, and then by Irei and Kenji.

"Erin!"

"Guys! Can't… breathe!"

Slowly, they released her. She looked around the classroom, preparing to apologize for the ruckus they caused. But she was mildly amused by the fact that not one student looked at them in alarm and she wondered why this was considered normal by her classmates.

She turned back to the three smiling friends. "Michael? Alice? Adrian? Guys, is that really you?"

Their smiles widened as they all nodded a little too much.

Her relief was overwhelming. She returned the hug to them which was just as breath-robbing. "I was so worried! And frantic! You should've seen me earlier this morning! I didn't even recognize my mother, and I was freaking out because apparently I was going to Rikkaidai-"

"Erin! Release us and then breathe."

She looked at them sheepishly. "Sorry, guys. Imagine my shock when I woke up this morning when I saw my posters and figurines were gone. And you guys were gone, too! You all were just sleeping over since it was my birthday and-"

"Again, Erin, breathe." Kenji grinned at her.

"Hold on a sec. If you're here too, then why do you know things around here more than I do?"

"We don't know how, but we just do. The last thing we remember was sleeping in your room, but when we came here, we just… _knew _things. We knew what our names were, what classes we take, who our friends were, and who each other were," Irei chimed in.

"That's not fair!" Erin pouted. "Speaking of names, what do we call each other? And I know nothing about things around here, except maybe the tennis team. I don't even know who the teachers are."

"Let's not call each other with our real names. It'll just cause confusion and questions," Shiori looked a little uncomfortable at the thought of the attention they'll get for calling each other American names.

"And don't worry. We'll guide you through. The subjects are easy. We learnt them already. Thankfully, that's one less worry. The teachers are in your timetable. Maybe you can find it in your bag. If not, I'll lend you mine. We all have the same classes anyway. Irei is class president, by the way. Aren't you just surprised?" Kenji said, flashing her that carefree smile of his.

"I only have one question. We have all established the fact that Erin… sorry, Haruka is a fangirl, right? What will we do if she sees…" Irei trailed off as he heard high-pitched giggles outside the classroom. 'Nice timing,' Irei thought sarcastically.

Niou Masaharu and Marui Bunta walked in through the door, their fangirls behind them. Niou was walking to his seat, followed by Marui who was popping gum. Jackal already took his seat at the second row. Haruka's eyes widened as she saw Marui take the seat beside her and Niou took the one in front of Marui.

"…them. Oh gods." Irei sighed.

"Haruka? Haruka?" Kenji was getting irritated at the lack of response. "Erin! Do not squeal."

"Erin. Do. Not. Squeal," Shiori enunciated each word clearly.

"Deep breaths, Erin. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale."

Slowly, Haruka followed Irei's instructions and tried to calm down.

"So, three regulars are in our class," Haruka said softly with a calm mask.

"Uh huh," the three nodded nervously.

"And Marui is sitting next to me," Haruka whispered, her inner fangirl was barely contained.

"Uh huh," they nodded again.

"Well, this is interesting. Can we watch them practice after school?" she asked them.

They shared a glance. "Well, if you can promise to behave and not go all fangirl on the regulars," Shiori said sternly.

"I promise!"

"And no telling them the future!" Kenji piped up.

"Yessir! Wait, when are we? Wow, that sounded weird."

Irei laughed. "Yes. Yes, it did. And the Kantou Finals are next week."

Haruka gasped. "So, that means Seigaku…"

"What did I just tell you, Haruka?" Kenji said exasperatedly.

Haruka sighed. "Hai, hai. And isn't it so cool? We're speaking Japanese!"

They rolled their eyes at Haruka. The bell rung, and the homeroom teacher came in. Their little group dispersed. Kenji sat in front of her, Shiori was in front of Kenji, and Irei was, she noted amusedly, on the second row. So close to the teacher, Haruka snickered quietly.

As their teacher started roll call, Haruka thought, 'This may not be so bad after all.'

Marui Bunta is not an eavesdropper. Nope, he's not. That was Niou. He just overheard them.

He rolled his shoulders and stretched his legs. Damn, Sanada was such a slave-driver. I was just five minutes late. That was nothing compared to Akaya.

Normally Marui wasn't interested in those four's business. He knew them because he saw them together from primary school. But when they started using hushed tones, he became curious. What they were talking about was not intended for his ears. And besides, the teacher wasn't there yet, he was bored and they were just _there. _

He heard something about the future. What were they talking about? He perked up when they mentioned the Kantou Finals. As far as he knew, they didn't give much attention to the tennis club. Less than the regular Rikkaidai student, in fact.

They started talking in louder voices. Why were they talking about the Kantou Finals? Seigaku? What do they know about Seigaku? And what was up with that last comment? Of course, they were speaking in Japanese.

Niou glanced at him and he knew Niou heard them, too.

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**Okay, so PoT characters got, like fifty words, but this is what I like to call build-up. It won't be right to just throw them right in and BAM****! They're best friends. No, no. **

**Oh****! Have you noticed? They changed the Review button. It looks puuurdy. ::hint hint::**


End file.
